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Warriors take control, but real score is Curry’s status

HOUSTON — Each time they took the court from way back in October and painted another fantastic masterpiece, they were creating a new art form that couldn’t be contained by the edges of the canvas.

They weren’t competing against opponents so much as their own imaginations, blasting to an NBA record 24-0 start and zooming through the finish line of the regular season to an all-time mark of 73-9, filled with happiness, light and no limits.

But all the while the Warriors were treating the regular season like a walk in the park; this was the one scary thought always lurking behind a tree.

A tweaked ankle. A slip on a wet spot. An awkward fall. A sprained knee.

This could be big.

When the wisp that is Steph Curry hit the Toyota Center floor with 7.1 seconds left in the first half Sunday, you could almost feel the tectonic plates shift beneath the NBA playoffs.

Hello, Spurs, who just finished off a mercy-killing sweep of the wounded Grizzlies. Hello, Thunder, with the new “bad attitude” two-some of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Hello there, Clippers and Trail Blazers. Hello, LeBron and the Cavs, over there in the Eastern Conference.